The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-05-28
DECLARATION FROM TIE COM.
MERGE CDMMIS SION.
IN. 0. Picayuno.l

EOr long time the people ali over
the country have anXiousiy waited for
some expression from the National
Commerce Comm issiou ~ :c1u', be
authoritative and foresnsdow rs at. ion.
The papers have been filled with the
arguments and petitions of paid agents
of the railroads demanding that the
commission shall! annul the law or in
terpret it in their interest, and as the
law was claimed to be entirely subiec,
to the action of the commission, which
was supposed to be- vested with power
to execute or set it aside at pleasure.
the people waited with bated breath
intends to do in the premises.
The first thing which looks like re.
spouse to the popular demand comes
in the form of a letter from Judge
Cooley, the commissions President.
The uitarances were made in reply to
a communication from the manager of
the Minnesota Northwestern Railway.
Judge Cooiey's declaration has been
Published at length, but reduced to its
essence and stripped Of verbiasc, is as
follows:
l. 1t is obvious that case: the law con-
templates, III winch me COMMISSION is
authorized to make orders for suspension
are exceptional cases. That is to say, cases
whose facts make them stand apart from
ordinary cases. The act docs not define
them; it does not state the grounds that
shall warrant relief, but it plainly intends
that those grounds in cvery case shall be
special and peculiar; that where only gen.
eral reasons operate tho general law shall be
to loft its ordinary course, how ever serious
may DO the consequences in particular
cases, and tOparticular roads and interests
2. II is also made plain by the act That
any order for suspension was intended to
be based on investigation, which should
satisfy the commission that tho case vas,
in fact, exceptional, and fairly within the
intent of the provision made for relief
Tho jurisdiction of the commission to make
orders is evidently meant to DO sonewha
closely restricted.
3. 1t must be assumed that Congress in
tended the general law, in it's main features
at least, to DO permanent law for the
country. 1t must, therefore, DO coutcnI-
plated that considerable sacrifices would
necessarily be ST. omitted to by some parties
and some interests while the general law is
being established, for the very obvious
reasons that it would DO quite impossible
to introduce considerable changes in the
branch OF tho law which concerns so in
out serious consequences to some private
interests. In Ill such cases, incidental i'll
juries, however great thcy may be, arc
necessarily borne for the general goou.
the commission recognizes that the
law permits modification or suspcr-
sion of any Of its provisions only in
| special and peculiar cases OF excep-
tionai urgency. rtcy must be deter.
! mined and nscertsiled to be such after
| investigation. The power TO make
such suspension or modification is
closely restricted. The Law is intended
to be general in lis application and to
| have the furco and dircC;ncss Of any
other &C: OF Congress. All this is
plain enough and sat s:ac;ory to the
i people who viii after this announce
ment only be concerned to SEQ the COM
mission riL itself Of tho obstructive
rubbish that has accumulated in lis
course and put the lazy into active
operation. Should this entail dcstruc-
tive or nnbearatEe hardships upon any
great Interest it will be compile for
Congress 10 apply a proper remedy.
| The Rutland fpeS received from thn